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Topic: Vic: Fare evasion (Read 1950 times)

... The new strategy appears to have paid dividends, with fare evasion on trains tumbling from 8.4 per cent in October 2013 to 4.1 per cent in October 2014. On trams, it fell from 8 per cent to 6 per cent in the same period.

Fare evasion on buses remains more prevalent at 8.7 per cent of journeys, but has dropped significantly since May, when it stood at 12.7 per cent.

Only V/Line saw an increase in fare evasion on its trains last year, with levels rising from 4.9 per cent to 7 per cent ...

Some of Melbourne's wealthiest suburbs have the highest rate of fare evasion, according to figures compiled by Public Transport Victoria.

An estimated 3 per cent of commuters on the Sandringham line fare evade – a figure higher than any other train route.

The Sandringham line passes through affluent suburbs such as Brighton, home to some of Melbourne's wealthiest families and most expensive properties.

Melbourne's estimated fare evasion rates are calculated based on interviews with more than 44,000 passengers, and weighted against other data, such as how many people use a particular train line.

Passengers using the city's troubled Frankston line, meanwhile, are the second biggest culprits when it comes to fare evading.

An estimated 2.7 per cent of Frankston line passengers dodge their station's myki readers.

While the Frankston line services traditional working-class neighbourhoods, it does pass through more affluent areas such as Toorak, Armadale and Malvern.

The Sunbury line, which services Melbourne's working-class west, has the lowest estimated rate of fare evasion.

Melbourne's tram network paints a similar picture, with bayside travellers the most likely to risk a hefty fine by travelling without a valid ticket.

Almost 6 per cent of Melburnians using trams that terminate at the Glenhuntly depot – including route 3, 64 and 78 trams – don't pay for a ticket.These tram routes service suburbs such as Malvern and Brighton.

Passengers on route 1, 8 and 19 trams are the next biggest tram offenders, with an estimated 4.8 per cent of people in Melbourne's inner-north refusing to touch on.

Public Transport Users Association spokesman Daniel Bowen said it was interesting the Sandringham train line had the highest estimated rate of fare evasion, as people living along this line can afford to pay for a valid ticket.

However, he is less surprised by tram-riding ticket evaders given there are no longer any conductors.

"Some people will always try to get away without paying their fare," he said. "If there are very few chances of getting caught, that is likely to continue."

Mr Bowen said he looks forward to the state government rolling out several changes next year, including abolishing the controversial on-the-spot fines.

However, he said the government still needs to make sure it isn't turning a blind eye to public transport users doing the wrong thing.

"The easier they can make it to pay [for a ticket], but harder to get away not paying, the better."

More than $16 million in potential revenue has gone down the drain this year thanks to fare evasion.

Despite this, those keeping an eye on the government's coffers will be happy the overall rate of fare evasion on metropolitan trains, trams and V/Line services has dropped ever so slightly in the past year.

Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan said it is promising to see more train and tram users than ever before remembering to touch on – 97.7% of metropolitan train users and 95.3% of trams users travelled with a valid ticket in May 2016.

"Passengers are already benefiting from quicker online top-ups and faster readers at stations across the network," she said.

Unsurprisingly, Melbourne's bus network has the highest rate of fare evasion, with an estimated 4.1 per cent of bus travellers travelling without a valid ticket in May this year. The most common way of fare evading on Melbourne's bus network was by travelling on a concession fare without a valid concession card.

The May 2016 fare compliance survey covered the three metropolitan modes of train, tram and bus, as well as V/Line train services.

Metropolitan network fare compliance is almost 96 per cent. This is the second highest recorded level of fare compliance since fare evasion data began being captured in 2005.

The results show the number of people travelling with a valid ticket is at a record high on metropolitan and regional trains and on metropolitan trams, while fare compliance on metropolitan buses continues to demonstrate seasonal differences – showing an improvement on the same period in 2015 but down slightly on the October figures.

More than 97 per cent (97.7%) of metropolitan train users, 95 per cent (95.3%) of tram travellers, 92 per cent (92.7%) of metropolitan bus passengers and 95 per cent (95.7%) of V/Line passengers travelled with a valid ticket.

In May 2016 when the survey was conducted, normal service had resumed on almost all V/Line trains. Any services still operating as replacement buses were not included in this survey.

[ Hey Queensland ... this is transparency ... not what you think is it? ]

The percentage of Victorian passengers travelling with a valid ticket on metropolitan trains, trams and V/Line services is at an all-time high.

Announcing the latest fare compliance figures, Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan said Public Transport Victoria’s (PTV) May 2016 Fare Compliance Survey shows more Victorians are opting to travel the right way.

A record high of 97.7 per cent of metropolitan train users and 95.3 per cent of tram users travelled with a valid ticket.

The overall percentage of metropolitan passengers travelling with a valid ticket on trains, trams and buses was the second highest since the survey began in 2005, at 95.9 per cent.

Positive results were also recorded in regional Victoria, with a record high of 95.7 per cent of V/Line train passengers travelling with a valid ticket.

The biggest improvement in regional Victoria was on the Traralgon line, up 3.3 per cent on October 2015. The Bendigo line also improved – up 1.3 per cent – with the Geelong and Ballarat lines relatively stable, up 0.6 per cent for Geelong and down 0.4 per cent on the Ballarat line.

The encouraging figures come as the Andrews Labor Government gets on with reforming Victoria’s fare enforcement system to make it simpler, fairer and more effective for all passengers.

The new system which begins 1 January 2017 will abolish on-the-spot penalty fares and create a single infringement system that makes it easier for Victorians to do the right thing.

Over the past two years, greater fare compliance has almost halved the revenue lost from $58 million in 2013-14 to $30.9 million in 2015-16. This ensures more money is available to invest in improving Victoria’s public transport system.

The most common reasons for fare evading were concession fare breaches on metropolitan buses (1.9 per cent) and having ‘insufficient balance’ on a regional train (1.8 per cent).

Quotes attributable to Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan

“We’re making fares simpler, fairer and less confusing by making it easier for people to do the right thing, while still targeting those who deliberately fare evade.”

“These latest figures show that more Victorians are choosing to travel with a valid ticket, and we’re working to make their daily commute even better.”

“Passengers are already benefiting from quicker online top ups and faster readers at stations across the network.”

Fare evasion on Victoria’s public transport system is at record lows ahead of the Andrew Labor Government’s crackdown on serial fare evaders.

Public Transport Victoria (PTV) Fare Compliance results released today show 97.4 per cent of Metro train users are travelling with a valid ticket, and 95.9 per cent of V/Line train passengers are too.

A record 96.4 per cent of tram passengers travelled with the right ticket in the six months to October, up more than four per cent since the Labor Government took office.

Fare compliance on buses is also improving, with 93.6 per cent of passengers holding a valid ticket, compared to 92.7 per cent since the last Fare Compliance survey.

The results come ahead of the introduction of the Labor Government’s simpler, fairer and more effective fare enforcement system on 1 January 2017.

It will abolish on-the-spot penalty fares and replace the complex, inequitable and ineffective regime introduced by the former Liberal Government with a single infringement system that makes it easier to do the right thing.

The $75 penalty fare means a passenger can get caught fare evading more than 20 times in one year, and still pay less than the cost of a regular Zone 1 & 2 yearly pass.

Penalty fares are also anonymous, so there is no record kept of serial offenders, meaning the worst fare evaders cannot be identified and targeted.

The new system also provides a clear process for how and when fines can be issued, and how and when they can be challenged, reducing conflict between passengers and Authorised Officers just doing their job.

PTV’s Fare Compliance results are released every six months. For more information about the new fare enforcement regime and a copy of the latest report, visit ptv.vic.gov.au.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan

“These results show more people are paying their way and supporting the public transport system we all rely on.”

“Under our simpler and more effective enforcement system, there will be nowhere for serial fare evaders to hide. A record of every fine will be kept and those that repeatedly try to cheat the system will pay the price.”

“The new system will also be fairer for people who do the right thing but make an honest mistake, with a clear process for when fines can be issued, and when they can be challenged, so people aren’t unfairly punished.”

“We’re making it easier to top-up, touch-on and travel, while we get on with the major projects our network needs like the Metro Tunnel, 50 level crossing removals and more than 100 new trams and trains for Victoria.”